Grader control



Dec. 15, 1936.

W. A. COST GRADER CONTROL Filed March' 18, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 15, 1936.

w. A. cosT v 3 75 GRADER CONTROL Filed March 18, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 vucm tm Mum/w H. Casa- Dec. 15, 1936. w A COST 2,064,375

GRADER CONTROL Filed March 18, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. A, COST GRADER CONTROL Dec. 15, 1936.

Filed March 18, 1933 6 SheetsSheet 4 Gum/M4349 Dec. 15, 193

w. A. COST GRADER CONTROL .6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 18, 1935 WWW Dec. 15, 1936.' w. A. cosT GBADER CONTROL Filed March 18, 1932 e Sheets-Sheet s Patented Dec. 15 1936 UNITED STATES GRADER CONTROL William A. Cost, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to J. D. Adams Manufacturing Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 18, 1933, Serial No. 661,442

7 Claims.

- My invention is concerned with earth-working machines, and especially with a machine of the type known to the trade as an elevating grader. Such a machine comprises a wheel-supported 5 frame which carries a plow adapted to turn a furrow of earth in position to fell upon the lower end of a belt conveyer which is also carried by the frame. The belt conveyer operates to raise the earth discharged from the plow to an ele- 10 vated point of discharge from which it can fall into wagons, trucks, or other earth-conveying vehicles.

In the operation of an elevating grader certain adjustments of the working parts are necessary. 15 First, it is necessary to raise and lower the plow to vary the depth of the out which it makes. It is also necessary to raise and lower the receiving end of the conveyer in order that it maybe properly positioned to receive the furrow turned by the plow. To provide for the different heights of wagons or trucks into which the conveyer discharges, it is necessary to provide means for adjusting vertically the outer end of the conveyer. Most elevating graders are provided with con- 25 veyers constructed in two sections hingedly connected together, and it is customary to provide a vertical adjustment for this point of hingeing.

As elevating graders are comparatively large and heavy machines the making of the necessary adjustments while the machine is in operation involves the exercise of considerable effort, and it is the object of my invention to provide poweroperated mechanism for effecting the necessary adjustments under the control of the operator. 35 More specifically, it is my object to provide a single source of power which operates the belt conveyer of the grader and also the necessary adjusting mechanisms. A further object of my invention is to connect the conveyer and the ad- 40 justing mechanism with the power source through clutches so arranged that the necessary adjustments of the movable parts can be effected whether or not the conveyer is being driven. Still another object of my invention is to provide 45 a novel means for controlling the position of the plow whereby it can be adjusted either by power or manually, as desired.

In carrying out my invention I mount on the frame of the elevating grader a suitable power- 50 source such as an internal combustion engine. This engine is connected to a rotatable element through a suitable manually controlled clutch, and the rotatable element is separately connected to the adjusting mechanism and to the conveyer, 55' its'connection to the conveyer including a second clutch by means of which the conveyer can be thrown into or out of operation while still leaving the adjusting mechanism connected to the engine. The adjusting mechanisms are driven in common from the aforesaid rotatable element through a clutch to worm gearing or other irrevers-ible power-transmission mechanism which is adapted to be driven by the engine. By disengaging this clutch, the position of the plow may be manually controlled by rotation of the shaft; while, when the clutch is engaged, the vertical position of the plow may be controlled by power.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rear end of an elevating grader showing one rear wheel removed to avoid obscuring of details; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the grader shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the manually-oper-' able plow-adjusting mechanism; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing fur- V ther details of the plow-adjusting mechanism; Fig. 5 is an elevation, in partial section, showing the control mechanism for the various poweroperated adjusting mechanisms; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 6a

'is a fragmental section on the line Bw-Ga of Fig. 0*

5; Fig. 7 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 1--1 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a plan view, in partial section, showing the main clutch and the auxiliary clutch by which operation of the belt conveyer is controlled; Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing further details of the auxiliary clutch just mentioned; and Fig. 10 isa somewhat diagrammatic isometric view showing the control devices for the main and auxiliary clutches.

The elevating grader illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a main frame l5 having front supporting wheels l6 and rear supporting wheels l1. Secured through universal connection to the front end of the grader is a plow beam l8 which extends generally rearwardly and outwardly to a point at the side of the frame where a plow I9 is mounted upon it. The rear end of the plow beam I8 is secured to a vertically swinging transverse link 2l which locates the rear end of the plow beam laterally of the machine.

The main frame l5 also adjustably supports a' conveyer comprising inner and outer frame sections 22 and 23 pivotally connected together as at 24. The conveyer frame 22-43 supports a conveyer 25 of the endless belt type which receives earth turned by the plow l9 and conveys it upwardly and outwardly to be discharged into the body of a suitable vehicle moving beside the machine.

In a grader of the above type, which is described in detail merely as an example of a machine in which my invention can be embodied, it is necessary to provide certain adjustments. As indicated above, these adjustments include vertical adjustment of the plow, vertical adjustment of the inner section 22 of the conveyer frame, vertical adjustment of the outer end of the outer section 23 of the conveyer frame, and vertical adjustment of the point at which the two sections of the conveyer frame are hinged together.

One convenient means employed for effecting these adjustments comprises a chain or other flexible element connected to the point to be adjusted and leading to a shaft supported on the main frame of the grader and rotatable to wrap the chain and thus shorten the effective length thereof. Such an adjusting means is shown in the drawings in connection with the plow beam and with the inner and outer ends of the conveyer-frame.

As is clear from Figs. 1 and 2, the outer end of the outer section 23 of the conveyer frame is adjusted by means of two chains 36 and 3| which are connected to the conveyer frame-section on opposite sides thereof and which lead generally inwardly to a rotatable shaft 32 mounted on suitable uprights 33 carried by the main frame [5. The inner ends of the chains 30 and 3| are secured to the shaft 32, so that as the shaft is rotated in one direction the chains will be wrapped around it and the outer end of the conveyer frame raised.

The adjusting mechanism for the inner end of the inner section 22 of the conveyer frame comprises chains 35 and 36 which are secured to opposite sides of the frame section and which lead generally upwardly over sheaves 37 and 38 to a shaft 39. As in the case of the adjusting mechanism for the outer end of the conveyer-frame, the chains 35 and 36 are secured to the shaft 39 to be wrapped about it when it is rotated in one direction and to be unwrapped when it is rotated in the other direction.

As is clear from Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the vertical position of the plow I9 is controlled by a chain 40' which is secured to an upright 4| on the main frame l5 and which extends around a sheave 42 mounted on the plow beam l8 and thence upwardly to a shaft 43 to which it is secured. By rotating the shaft 43 in one direction or the other, the plow beam l8 of the plow l9 can be raised or lowered as desired.

The means shown in the drawings for the adjustment of the intermediate point of the conveyer frame comprises a rotatable shaft 45 mounted on the uprights 33 and carrying rigid with it two outwardly extending arms 46. The arms 46 are connected through links 41 with opposite sides of the conveyer frame 2223 at the point where the two sections thereof are hinged together.

The adjusting means described are merely examples of suitable mechanisms for securing the desired adjustments of the parts of the grader. They form no part of my invention, and may be replaced by any other suitable type of adjusting mechanism.

In adapting the adjusting mechanism described for power-operation, I mount on the frame 15 of a machine a suitable power source 56 such as an internal combustion engine. The engine 56 is connected through suitable clutch mechanism 5| to the longitudinally extending rotatable shaft 52. The shaft 52 is operatively connected through reduction gears 53 and 54 with a second longitudinally extending shaft 55.

From the rear end of the shaft 55 there extends a shaft 56 leading rearwardly to a gear box 5! in which I provide means for the selective control of the various adjusting mechanisms.

The preferred form of gear box is illustrated in Fig. 5. In the front wall of this gear box 51 near the bottom thereof, there is rotatably mounted a bevel pinion 60 coplanar with a transverse stationary shaft 6l suitably mounted in the gear box 51. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 6! and on opposite sides of the pinion 66 I provide two bevel gears 62 and 63 both of which mesh with the pinion 60.

In the gear box 51 I mount a series of vertically spaced horizontally disposed rotatable shafts, one for each of the adjusting mechanisms which is to be operated by power. The first of these shafts, shown as the shaft 65, operates the adjusting mechanism for the plow. The second shaft 66 operates the adjusting mechanism for the inner end of the conveyer frame 22-23. The third shaft 61 is connected to the adjusting mechanism for the intermediate point of the conveyer frame, and the upper and last shaft 68 is connected to the adjusting mechanism for the outer end of the conveyer frame.

Centrally located on each of the shafts 65, 66, 5?, and 68 is a clutch member 76. Each such clutch member is keyed to its associated shaft for rotation therewith, but is slidable therealong in either direction from the neutral position illustrated in Fig. 5 into engagement with either of two rotatable elements H and 12 mounted on opposite sides of it. The inner faces of the elements H and 12 and the ends of each of the clutch members 16 may be provided with co-opcrating jaw-clutch teeth which preferably are of the form hereinafter described.

Each of the gears ll meshes with the gears "H above and below it, the lower gear H meshing with a gear 14 which is rigid with the bevel gear 62. The arrangement of the opposite side of the gear box is similar, each of the gears 72 meshing with the corresponding gears above and below it and the lower gear 12 meshing with a gear 75 rigid with the bevel gear 63. It will be apparent from the construction just described that the gears H and 12 on any one of the shafts 65, 66, 61, and 68 rotate in opposite directions and that by moving the clutch member 10 from its neutral position into engagement with the gear II the associated shaft can be rotated in one direction, while if the clutch member 16 is moved into engagement with the gear 12, the associated shaft will be rotated in the opposite direction.

For the purpose of controlling the position of each of the clutch members 10 there is mounted on the longitudinal axis above each of the shafts 65, 66, 61, and 68 a longitudinal rock shaft 86 rigid with which are depending shifter fingers 8| which are received in an annular groove 82 in the associated clutch member 10. The shafts 86 extend rearwardly through the rear wall of the gear box 51 and are bent to form cranks 83 by means of which the clutch members 16 are controlled.

Conveniently, the power-transmitting parts connecting each of the shafts 65, 66, 61,-and 68 with its associated adjusting'mechanism includes irreversible power-transmission mechanism such as a worm gear mounted on the shaft of the adjusting mechanism and a worm 86 adapted to be driven from the associated shaft in the gear box 51. Each of the worms 85 is connected to its associated shaft in the gear box by any convenient means. As is clear from Fig. 1, this means for. the adjusting mechanism controlling the inner and, outer ends of the conveyer frame 22-23 comprises intermediate shafts 88 and 89 respectively- The shaft 88 has universal joints at its opposite ends connected respectively to the shaft 66 and the worm 86 associated with the worm gear 85 on the shaft 39. The shaft 89 is also provided at its .ends with universal joints which connect it respectively with the shaft 68 in the gear box 51 and with the worm 8.6 which drives the worm gear'85 on the shaft'32.

The worm 86 associated with the mechanism which adjusts the intermediate point of the conveyer frame is connected through reduction gearing 90 to a shaft 9I which leads to the driven shaft 61 of the gear box 51, the shaft 9I having universal joints at its ends.

The lowermost driven shaft in the gear box 51, the shaft 65, is connected through a universal joint to a shaft 92 which is in turn connected througha second universal joint to a sprocket 93. The sprocket 93 has associated with it a chain 94 which runs over a second sprocket 05mounted on the shaft of the Worm 86 associated with the mechanism at the left of the machine by which the vertical position of the plow I9 is controlled.

It will be understood that the precise form of power-transmitting means employed to connect each of the adjusting mechanisms with its associated shaft in the gear box 51 forms no part of my invention and may be varied to suit the circumstances. The shafts 65, 66, 51, and 68 are all equivalent, and any one can be connected to any of the adjusting mechanisms.

The conveyer-belt 25 is driven from the shaft 55 under the control of a suitable clutch. To this end, the shaft 55 may have rotatably mounted upon it a bevel gear I00 meshing with a second bevel gear IOI carried by a shaft I02 which extends outwardly to the conveyer-driving mechanism I03 on the outer end of the conveyer framesection 23. The hub of the bevel gear I00 is provided with jaw-clutch teeth I04 adapted to cooperate with a second set of clutch teeth I05 on the inner end of a clutch member I06 which is rotatable with the shaft 55 and slidable therealong into and out of engagement with the bevel gear I00. The position of the clutch member I06 is controlled by a swinging lever IIO, the lower end of which engages an' annular groove III in the clutch member I06, as is clear from Fig. 9.

By moving the upper end of the lever IIO rearwardly (or to the left in Fig. 9) the clutch member I06 may be moved out of engagement with the gear I00, and by moving the upper end of the lever H0 in the opposite direction, the control member I05 may be moved rearwardly to cause engagement of the two sets of jaw-clutch teeth I04 and I05 and to cause the bevel gear I00 to rotate with the shaft 55.

The main clutch 5I and the auxiliary clutch I04--I05 are preferably operated by a common control lever II2, perhaps best shown in Fig. 10. The main clutch is operated by a swinging con trol lever II3 connected through a link II4 to the control lever I I2 which, as is clear from Figs. 1 and 2, is located near the operators stationat the rear of the machine. By moving the control lever II2 rearwardly, the operating lever N3 of the clutch 5| swings rearwardly with it and disengages the clutch. Upon forward movement of the control lever II2, the clutch 5I is re-engaged.

The clutch I04-I05, which controls the operation of the conveyer 25, is arranged to be controlled by lateral movements of the lever I I2. To this end, the lever H2 is attached to the main frame of the machine through a universal connection which permits it to swing both laterally and longitudinally. At a point intermediate its length the lever II2 is connected through a link I I6 to a bell-crank I I1 which is in turn connected through a second link M8 to the operating lever IIO of the auxiliary'clutch I04--I05.

The parts are illustrated in Fig. 10 in the positions they respectively occupy when the main clutch 5| and the auxiliary clutch I04-I05 are both disengaged. By moving the control lever I I2 directly forwardly from its position shown in Fig. 10, the main clutch 5| will be permitted to become engaged. while the auxiliary clutch I04-- I05 remains disengaged. With the main clutch 5| engaged. and with the engine 50 operating, all the gears in the control box 51 will be rotating, and any of the desired adjustments of the parts of the grader can be effected by suitable manipulation of the control levers 83. Since the auxiliary clutch I04-I05 is disengaged, the conveyer belt 25 remains at rest.

Should the control lever II2 be in the position illustrated in Fig. 10, and should it be desired to operate both the conveyer belt and the power-driven adjusting mechanism, the control lever is swung to the left from its neutral position. This movement of the control lever rocks the bell-crank II1, moves the link I I8 forwardly, and causes the clutch member I06 to move rearwardly into engagement with the hub of the gear This engagement of the auxiliary clutch I04--I 05 causes the conveyer-driving mechanism to be connected to the shaft 55. The control lever II2 is now moved forwardly to permit the main clutch 5I to become engaged, thus connecting the shaft 55 to the engine 50. When this manipulation of the control lever II2 has been completed, both the conveyer 25 and the gears in the gear-box 51 will be operatively connected to the engine 50 to be driven thereby.

In association with the lever II2 I provide means which insures that the auxiliary clutch IM-I 05 can not be either engaged or disengaged except when the main clutch 5| is disengaged. This means conveniently takes the form of a hook I20 which is mounted on the frame of the machine and which has a short rearwardly directed leg disposed between the two longitudinal paths of movement of the lever II2. When the main clutch 5I is engaged, the lever II2 will occupy an advanced position on either one side or the other of the short leg of. the hook I20 which serves to prevent lateral movement of the control lever H2 in either direction when it is in advanced position with the clutch 5| engaged. In other words the hook I20 insures that before the control lever I I2 can be moved laterally to change the condition of adjustment of the auxiliary clutch I04--I 05 it must be moved rearwardly sufficiently far to disengage the main clutch'5I. Thus, the auxiliary clutch I04I05 is never operated while under load but can only be operated when it is disconnected from the engine 50.

Since neither the gear I00 nor the clutch member I06 of the auxiliary clutch will be rotating when the clutch member I06 is moved into engagement with the gear I 00, it is quite possible for the clutch teeth I04I05 to meet in end-t0- end relation which would prevent completion of their inter-engagement. Unless provision is made to prevent, such end-to-end engagement of the clutch teeth I04I05 would prevent completion of the lateral movement of the control lever II2.

Therefore, in order to prevent end-to-end engagement of the clutch teeth I04--I05 from preventing lateral movement of the control member H2, I provide a yielding connection between the clutch-operating member H0 and the link IIB by which it is moved. This yielding connection conveniently takes the form of a coiled compression spring I22 which operates between a fixed abutment I23 on the rod I I8 and the shiftlever I I0 and serves to hold the upper end of such lever in contact with a second abutment I24 on the rod II 8.

Upon leftward movement of the control lever IIZ, should the clutch teeth I04I05 meet in abutting relation, continued leftward movement of the control lever I I2 will serve to compress the spring I22, and will thus bias the clutch member I06 toward engaged position; When the control lever H2 is then moved forwardly to permit engagement of the main clutch 5I, the gear I00 will rotate, and as soon as the teeth I04I05 pass out of abutting relationship, the spring I22 will cause the clutch member I06 to move rear- Wardly to complete engagement of the clutch teeth.

Many operators of elevating graders prefer to have the plow I9 under manual control rather than to have it located in fixed position by poweroperated adjusting mechanism. To secure man-v ual control of the plow and at the same time to provide power-operating adjusting mechanism for use when desired, I may employ the construction illustrated in Fig. 3.

In this arrangement, the worm gear 85 is operatively connected to its associated chain-winding shaft 43 through a clutch which comprises a clutch member I26 rotatable with the shaft 43 and longitudinally slidable therealong. The clutch member I26 and the hub I21 of the worm gear 85 on the shaft 43 are provided with interengageable clutch teeth the engagement and disengagement of which is effected by axial movements of the clutch member I26. Preferably, the clutch member I26 is biased toward engaged position as by means of a compression spring I28, while the clutch teeth on the clutch member I26 and on the hub I21 of the gear 85 are ratchet teeth so arranged as to permit chain-winding rotation of the shaft 43 relative to the associated worm gear 85.

For the purpose of effecting the operative disconnection of the shaft 43 from its associated gear 85, I provide the clutch member I26 with a swinging shifting lever I30 which is connected through a link I3I with a bell-crank I32. The bell-crank I32 has connected to it a depending member I33 the lower end of which is bent horizontally to provide a pedal I34 upon which the operator may step to swing the bell-crank I32 to cause disengagement of the clutch I 26I2'I.

The shaft 43 is provided at its rear end with a hand-wheel I36 by means of which it can be rotated when disconnected from its associated worm gear 85.

By the construction just described the operator can control the position of the plow I9 either manually or by power-operation. If he wishes to control it by power, he merely operates the control lever 83 associated with the shaft in the gear box 51. If he wishes to raise the plow I0 slightly under manual control, it is only necessary to turn the hand-wheel I36 in a clockwise direction, the ratchet teeth on the clutch member I26 and hub I21 of the gear 85 permitting this rotation of the shaft 43 and the hand-wheel. Upon release of the hand-wheel, the plow I9 will be held in raised position, since the clutch I26-I21 will return to engagement under the influence of the spring I28, and the irreversible character of the gearing 65-86 will prevent the Weight of the plow-beam from rotating the shaft 43. Should the operator desire to have the plow I9 under complete manual control, he need only step on the pedal I34 while holding the hand-wheel I36. Depression of the pedal I34, will, as above outlined, disengage the clutch I26-I21 and will thus disconnect the shaft 43 from the gear 85 leaving the position of the plow wholly under manual control.

It will be apparent that either the jaw-clutches in the gear box 51 must be of a type which can be engaged or disengaged while under load or that the main clutch 5I will have to be disengaged and re-engaged at every operation of one of the jawclutches. Straight-faced jaw-clutches do not lend themselves to engagement and disengagement while under load, and I therefore prefer to employ jaw-clutches of the type illustratedin Figs. 5 and In each of the jaw-clutches employed in the gear-box 51, the co-operating faces of engaging jaws are made of a generally helical conformation, or inclined to the clutch axis; so that the force transmitted between the inclined engaging faces of the two clutching members will have an axial component tending to force the two clutch members apart. To take full advantage of this axial component, I find it desirable to reduce sliding friction between each clutch member 10 and its associated shaft. To this end, instead of operatively connecting each clutch member 10 and its associated shaft through the medium of the conventional splines, I provide in the inner surface of the clutch member I0 and the outer surface of its associated shaft axially extending grooves of generally semicircular cross-section which, while alined, receive balls I40 of the type used in ball bearings.

I find that with the operating faces of the jaws of the clutch members 10 and the parts with which they co-oper-ate inclined on an angle about 20 to the shaft axis, the clutch members I0 can be moved into or out of engagement with their cooperating parts while transmitting any load to which they will be subjected. This eliminates the necessity for disengaging the main clutch 5| and re-engaging it every time it is desired to change the adjustment of any of the clutches in the gear box 51.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In an elevating grader, a conveyer, a source of power, a main clutch, power-driven means for adjusting the position of said conveyer, powertransmitting mechanism interconnecting said ad justing means through said main clutch with said source of power, an auxiliary clutch, and conveyer-driving means connected to said powertransmitting mechanism through said auxiliary clutch.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the additions that said main clutch is a friction clutch and that said auxiliary clutch is a positive clutch.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of a single control member for controlling both said clutches, said member being movable in one plane to engage and disengage said main clutch and in another plane to engage and disengage said auxiliary clutch, and means for preventing clutch-engaging movement in the latter plane except when said main clutch is disengaged.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of a single control member for controlling both said clutches, said control member being connected to said auxiliary clutch through a yielding connection.

5. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of a single control member for controlling both said clutches.

6. In a grader, an earth-cutting element, a manually rotatable shaft, means operated by rotation of said shaft for vertically adjusting said element, a source of power, an irreversible powertransmission mechanism driven from said powersource, and a releasable ratchet device operatively interconnecting said power-transmission mechanism and saidshaft, said ratchet device when engaged serving to prevent manual rotation of said shaft in a direction to lower said earth-cutting element.

7. In a grader, an adjustable element, a source of power, mechanism for adjusting said element, a shaft operatively connected to said adjusting mechanism, a member rotatable on said shaft and driven from said power-source, a clutch element on said shaft, said clutch element and rotatable member being provided with jaw clutch teeth engageable and disengageable by axial movement of said clutch member, the interengaging faces of said teeth being inclined to the axis of the shaft in a direction such that the force transmitted between them will have a component tending to force said clutch element out of engagement with said rotatable member, said clutch element and shaft being provided with opposed longitudinally extending grooves in their engaging faces, and ball-members disposed in said grooves to interconnect the shaft and clutch element for joint rotation while permitting relative longitudinal movement.

WILLIAM A. COST. 

